BANGKOK, Thailand (RNS) Buddhist-majority Thailand hopes its first “common understanding” with minority ethnic Malay Islamist guerrillas will create “a violence-free month of Ramadan” in four Southern provinces where a decade of fighting has killed more than 5,700 people.

The government says insurgents wrongly believe they can reclaim the region’s independent Islamic sultanate, which Bangkok annexed in 1909 — when Thailand was known as Siam.

The guerrillas, however, recently demanded closing all markets in the South on Fridays for religious reasons, and enforcement of some Shariah laws.

The fight is fueled by social problems, which should involve local solutions — including greater autonomy — instead of Bangkok’s harsh, deadly control, said Southerners, international human rights groups and some Thai officials.

Desperate for peace, Bangkok is now asking rebels to prove they want a negotiated settlement.

On July 12, Thailand’s National Security Council and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or National Revolution Front, the separatists’ largest rebel group, signed a “common understanding,” also known as the “Ramadan Peace Initiative 2013.”

The two sides want to achieve a violence-free month of Ramadan in the Southern Thailand provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, and five areas of the Songkhla province.

The deal is the first time both sides officially agreed to halt fighting in the South.

Despite the agreement, Thai military officials do not expect the Ramadan accord to be entirely peaceful.

What are we expecting?Their whole life is about killing any nonmuslims, even eachother Sunnis against Shiates. Peace is not in their dictionary. They worship death and not life. A dilemma for the rest of the world, how to get to a peaceful solution?

Thailand is one of the few official countries on the planet who have no respect for Islam. Omama should condemn them for not being tolerant of the religion of peace.I could see our glorious leader asking the CIA to help in an Islamic uprising.He’s still upset about his buddy Morsi being deposed in Egypt.America wake up.